Credit-accounting appliance.



No. 859,508. PATBNTBD JULY 9, 1907. P. A. MOOASKEY.

CREDIT ACCOUNTING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION IILQD my 19. 1906.

' asnnms-snnm 1. 6 1 -2 2.

WJTNESSES; INVENTOR:

ATTORNEK 9 Y U TU D E T N E T A P I E K S A w M A R om o 9 .5 8 nu .N

' CREDIT ACCOUNTING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. JNVENTOR:

a i I ATTORNEY.

No. 859,508. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

' P. A. MoGASKBY. CREDIT ACCOUNTING APPLIANCE.

APPLIOATIOK FILED MAY 19. 1906. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

/ 'INVENTOR: I

n 4 H n u n n u r I TLetier f zilliscellane ous Rial Card,

V l n ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES Y h) UN srn rnslymrnnzr. OFFICE,

PERRY A. MCCASKEY, OF ALLIANCE, ,orrrdAssrGNoR To THE ncoAsnnrnnersrnn COMPANY, on ALLIANCE, onto, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CREDIT-ACCOUNTING APPLIANCE.

Application filed Me This invention relates to cabinets or account-regis,

ters that form mechanical parts ofsystems for keeping credit accounts without the use of the ordinary sets of account books, the invention having reference particularly to the hinged indexed :frames or leaves of the cabinets and supports thereof, and also to the devices whereby the bill slips used in the system are con;

reniently held in indexed arrangement on the leaves.

Objects of the invention are to provide improved bill-holding frames or leaves'in apparatus of the abovementioned character that may be cheaply constructed and adapted to stand upright without the use of balancing springs and in such manner that the index:

numbers or letters on their fronts may be constantly in sight, and to provide connected leaves of this character that will, occupy theleast possible space when removed from the cabinet to be placed in fire proof safes. I

With the above-mentioned and minor objects in viewthe invention consists in a plurality of bill-holding frames or leaves hinged together and normally supported when in upright positions-or on end by the I foremost one of the leaves,"all of'the leavesbeing so constructed and mounted as to beheld upright against the back of the cabinet case by the force of gravity the hinge pivots of each leaf being arranged at one side r of the center of gravity of the leaf; the invention consists also in the pivotal devices for connecting the supporting leaf to the cabinet case, and also to the construction of the leaves and the devices connected therewith for holding the bill-slips against displacement or accidental removal from'the leaves: And, the. invention consists further in the novel parts and the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the filing or bill-holding cabinet with the billholding leaves thereof in normal'po'sitions; Fig. -2, a-

' fragmentary'frontelevation of the cabinet 'without the leaves, showing the front of the case for the leaves;

Fig. 3 a perspective view of the front or normally foremostleaf inverted and showing the novel hinging de- Specificat'ionof Letters Patent.

, Patented ul 9, 1907.

sessile. 317,716.

vices'in connection therewith, the bill-clamps being omitted; Fig. 4 a vertical sectional view of the complete cabinet at a plane at the left-hand side of the bill-holding leaves, the latter being in normal positions; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the part offront-leaf hinge that is attached thereto for supporting the set of leaves; Fig. 6, a fragmentary side elevation of the cabinet with the case broken away showing in section.

near the left-hand side thereof, one of the leaves being upright and the others drawn forward on the, desk part ofthe cabinet, as when inserting or removing the bill-slips; Fig; 7, a perspective view of one of the parts whereby the front leaf is connectedto the cabinet; Fig. 8, a fragmentary perspective view of a leaf and adjustable hinge connected thereto; Fig. 9, a plan view of a bill holding leaf complete and a sub-holder connected therewith for indexing bill-slipsof miscellaneous customers who may have only small accounts; Fig. 10, a side elevation of the set of leaves removed from the cabinet and adjusted to small compass for convenient insertion into fire-proof safes; Fig. 11, a sectional view showing the principal parts of a leaf, as on the line A-A in Fig. 9; Fig. 12, a fragmentary side elevation partly broken away, of anumber of the bill-holding leaves in their normal positions relative one to the others,Fig 13, a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away. of a. number of the leaves with their hinges adjusted so that .the leaves may occupy the smallest space possible; Fig. 14, a front'-view; and Fig. 15, a perspective view showing the rear of one of the sub-holders.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawings designate corresponding elements or 'features'of construction.

The cabinet comprises a desk part a having a top b on the rear partthereof, 'a case on the top b and comprising sides 0 and d and a back e, with the'top b serving as the bottom of the case. A leaf-base f is arranged in the front part of the case on the part b. A

lid 9 is hinged at 16 and covers the desk part of the cabinet, the lid having a glass panel 17 under which a suitable sheet of paper 18 may be seen that is at tached on a leaf 19 which is hinged at 20 to the lid,- another sheet of paper 21 being attached to the under side of the leaf 19 which is provided with a fingerhold 22. Substantially the same features have heretofore been embodied in the construction bf creditaccount cabinets, together with bill-holding leaves of various specific construction.

' In the presentinvention the base f is provided on its top with a pair of similar bearings h and h','for

supporting the bill'holding-leaves, being convenient forlthe purpose, sithongh the hearings may be other wise supported if desired. Each bearing has holes I 23 to receive'securing screws or nails and preferably is composed of sheet metal from which is stamped out a pair of elastic side-bearing members i and j that are bent so as to stand up on the plate to hold a pivot or hinge-pin. These members, however, may be variously modified as to detail if so desired.

A suitable number of bill-holding leaves are employed, to suit requirements as to capacity, there being a front leaf k, intermediate leaves, as l and m, and a rear leaf n, all beingalike in size and essential features, each leaf comprising a thin main part 0 towhich a suitable number of strips forming. divisional partitions p and also sides and ends are-attached. Rods q extend through and are attached to the partitions and thereby assist in stiffening the part 0, and bill-clamps 'r are formed of spring-wire with coils s encircling the rod, each bill-clamp having a loopshape rear extension t that bears on the part o which is stiffened by a plate is that is secured thereto and provided with ears '1) and t that engage the rod q. The

shapes of the bill-clamps 1' may be variously modified, and they are adapted to press thebill-slips or the sub-holders upon the part 0 of the leaf.- When desired, also, if the part 0 be composed of sufficiently strong material, the bill-clamps may be connected thereto otherwise than as shown. v

The front leaf is is provided with a pair of hinge parts 10 and to. that are secured; thereto, 'each hinge part having a hinge-pin a: attached thereto so as to beat the lower forward edge of the leaf when the latter is upright, the .hinge ins being forward of the center of gravity of the leaf, the tendency 'of the leaf when upright being naturally to fall toward the back e of the case. The hinge-ends of the leaves have beveled faces y, the angle of the time being acute to the front andobtuse to the rear of a leaf and the hinge-parts w andw are preferably attached against the end faces,

.and are adapted to bear upon the bearings h and h with the hinge-pins'in detachable engagement with theside-bearings i and j, so that the leaf may be disconnected from its supporting hearing at will, or quickly connected thereto, by moving the leaf so that the hinge-pins will be carried vertically, the bearings 11 and j acting as spring clasps on the hinge pins, as will be understood. It will be understood that by reason of the beveled end facesy of the leaves, the fronts of the leaves are longer than the opposite rear sides of the leaves, and in connecting the leaves together the longer front lower edges are connected to the shorter rear edges of the next adjacent forward leaves, and therefore the lower ends of 'the plurality of leaves will normally be in an inclined plane, the upper ends of the leaves being squared and the rearmost leaves being higher than those in front, so that index characters 2 that are placed on the upper fronts of the leaves are always in sight when the leaves are all upright, in

order to enable the merchant to readily select either leaf.

The adjustable hinges whereby the leaves are connected together, each two leaves by a pair of hinges, comprise each a hinge part 24 and a hinge part 25 connected together by a hinge-pin 26. The part 24 is so attached to the end of a leaf that the hingepin will be at the shorter lower edge of the leaf. The part 25 has a slot 27, therein and is attached adjustably to a plate 28 by means of a stud 29 that is secured to the plate 28'end extends through the slot with ahead on the opposite side of the hinge part 25.

, A screw 30 also extends through the slot 27 and through the plate 28 into an adjacent leaf, fastening the plate 28 to the-leaf but permitting the movement of the hinge part 25, the plate 28 being placed against the front of'the leaf, so that the leaf and the plate 28 may move with respect to the hinge part 25. In order to ordinarily prevent such movement, the hinge part 25 has corrugations 31 and theplate 28 has corresponding corrugations 32, which are slight and afford frictional contact between the two parts sufficient to hold the weight of a leaf when upright. The plate 2S may be provided with other securing devices besides the screw 30 for fixing it to the leaf, as will be understood. The hinge parts may be placed either on the surfaces of the leaves or set in flush, as may be desired, .they being preferably set in flush so that the leaves-may fit close together, as in Figs. 1, 4, 6 and 10, in orderto exclude dust from the pockets in the leaves that contain the bill slips. In some cases in lieu. of the corrugationsabove-mentioned, the plate 28 may be arranged so as to normally bear against the hinge part 24, at the hinge pin 26, as the end 33 in Fig. 12, the connections permitting the plates to yield so thatthe end 33 may be forziied beyond the abutting partwith frictional contact therewith, it being understood thatelastic metal housed in making the hinges.

'Rubbing plates 34are attached to the back 4 of the case, and rubbing plates 35 are attached to the rear leaf.

n, at the tops thereof, and rubbing plates 36. and 37 are attached respectively to the lower parts of the back and leaf. Two long leaf springs'38 and 39 are attached to the lower part of the back e, one spring extending upwardly and forwardly a short distance and the other one similarly a greater distance from the back. The springs have only sufficient strength to prevent the leaves from inclining undesirably toward the-back e when one or more of the leaves lie on the lid 9 and one or more are up right, as in Fig. 6, where, if one or two more leaves were raised the spring 39 would yield until the spring 38 would be engaged; then when other leaves were raised the added weights thereof would force both springs to yield until all of the upright leaves should force both springs against the back e, as in Fig. 4. The back of the rear leaf n is provided with rubbing-plates 40 and 41 opposite to the springs. Wheir comparatively few leaves are provided the springs may be Omitted, or in case the leaves are of less thickness than indicated. The springs 38 and 39, as will be seen, constitute paralleling apparatus in one form, of which other forms may be provided, for moving the upper ends of the remaining upright leaves forward substantially the same distance that their wbottoms may be moved forward when one or more of the leaves are being drawn down to the horizontal position, so that when one or more lcnvcs arc lying down the remaining upright leaves will be up proximately parallel to the plane normally occupied by the forward leaf when upright.

In order to dispense with as many bill-holding leaves as possible and yet provide ample facilities for filing the bill-slips in systematic indexed order, sub-holders are provided and may be placed under all of the billclamps r of the rear leaf 11., or more if desired, each subholder comprising two file'covers i2 and 43,1'ormed inte 5 gral, each cover having printed thereon suitable headings and columns adapting it, to be used for recording the totals of amounts owing as shown by slips that may be inserted in the sub-holder which is to be indexed,

the cover having an index head and space 44, title of.

accounts 45, name column heading 46, and amount column heading 47 thereon. Between the covers 42 and 43 are a suitable number of leaves as 48 and 49, each pair formed integral, and each leaf having a projection on which is dissimilar index numbers on opposite sides thereof, as for instance, one side of leaf 48 has number l at 50 on one side, and number 6 'at51 on the opposite sidet iereof, so that the sub-holder reversible,

holding separateaccounts usually being numbered,

and those for holding sub-holders with anumber of accounts therein bcing lettered. I

will use bill-slips of well-known form and inake out an original invoice anda carbon -copy thereof, giving the copy to the customer and placing the original in its properly indexed place on a'bill-holding leaf, under a billclamp r if the account he a regular or large one, or I in a sub-holder if the account be a small or-occasional customer. The system of accounting being well known needs no further mention. A quantity of sub-holders will be kept on hand toreplace thosewhich may be- 4'0 come filled up with their accounts settled. Whendei I sired to remove the set of bill-holding leavcsand accounts thereon to be placed elsewhere for safe keeping,-

the group may be lifted together from the bearings h hand h, and then by using some force the adjustable hinges may be shifted so that the tops and bottoms of the leaves will become even as in Fig. 10, so as toiorm a compact rectangular block as'a whole and occupy the minimum amount of space.

Having thus descri bed the invention, what is claimed as'new isv 1. A credit-accounting cabinet including a plurality of hinged bill-holding leaves each provided'with bars or rods arranged parallel to 'tl\e' hinge-axes, partitions attached to the leaf and also to the bars or rods, and a plurality of bill-clamps mounted on each bur or rod.

2. A credit-accounting cabinet including a plurality oi! bill-holding leaves. each having, a beveled end, the bev- 'eled ends of the lesvcs'being hinged one to another and the beveled -end oi! the front leaf. bein provided. with I binning: devices, a supporting base, and-hingiug, members mounted on the supporting base to be connected by said hingi'ng devices.

' :i. Acredit-accountlng cabinet including a'plurallty of bill-holding leaves of uniform dimensions hinged one to another each at an end thereof with the axes of 'the hinge-pins of either two adjacent leaves arranged at adjacent sides of the leaves and at less distance from the opposite end or ln-higher planes than the foremost leaves when in upright In practical use, when a merchant sells on credit, he

hinging devices of the leaf detachably to the hinging deone of the two leaves than from the opposite end 01 the other one of said two leaves to support the rearmost leaves positions. one of the leaves having hinging members at inched thereto at its side opposite to its side that is hinged to an adjacent leaf, a supporting base, and hinge members mounted on the base to be engaged by the liing-. in: members of said one of the leaves.

i. A creditaccounting cnbinet including" a supporting base. hinging members mounted on the base, a plurality of bill-holding leaves having; each u bcvelcd'end-whose face a is inclined at an acute angle to the front and at an obtuse angle to the back of the lent. the leaves leing hinged togeiher with the pivots of the hinges at opposite sides of the leaves, the pivot of either two leaves 'being'nt the obtuse'uugied corner of one leaf at the acute-angled corner of the. adjacent lest, and hinging members attached to one of'the leaves at ihe side or front thereof that is acute to the angle of the beveled'eud to cooperate with the binning members of the base.

A creditaccounting"cabinet including a case having a back, a pair of pivot-bearings in the case, and a plurality of bill-holding leaves hinged to each other, the foremost oneof said leaves being provided with pivot-members attachnble to and detachable from said pivot-bearings only when said leaf .is approximately upright, said pivot-mem hers normally supporting said foremost leaf upon said pivot-bearings, and all 01 said leaves when upright being inclined to lean by gravity toward the back of the case.

(i. A cr-edltnccountiug cabinet including a supporting buse, pivot-bearings on the'base, and a plurality of billholding leaves provided with hinges adjustably connecting the leaves one to another, one lcaf of either two adjacent leaves being movable with respect to the adjacent leaf toward or from theaxis of the pivots of the connecting hiuges, one oi? said leaves being supported on said pivotbenrings and supporting the other leaves.

7. A credit-accounting cabinet'including :1 plurality of bill-holding 'leaves,and adjustable hinges connecting the leaves one-to another, each hinge having a part fixed to one leaf and a pivotally-connected part provided with a relntively-adjustable plate iixed to an adjacent leaf.

8. A credit-accounting cabinet including, a case, a pair- .of hearings in the-case provided withelastic side membersg and a'plurality of bill-holding leaves hinged one to another, the front leaf being plvotully andremovably mount ed in said bearings and supporting the other leaves. 0. A crdibaccounting cabinet including aplurality of hinged leaves having each. a plurality of partition strips sttachedthereto, hinge rods extending through and atta'ched to the strips, bill-clamps connected to the hinge rods and engaging the bodies of the leaves, and supporting devices connected to the leaves and the hinge rods-between the strips. a

10. A credit-accounting cabinet including a plurality of leaves having each a plurality of partition strips attached thereto, rods or bars extending through and attached to the strips, bill-ciamps connected to the rods or bars for support, and frame strips forming parts of the leaves and having said rods or bars connected thereto, said leaves be: ing hinged together at oppositesides thereof and fitting close together at the edges thereof.

11. A credit-accounting cabinet including a case having a back, a pair of pivot benrings in the case, a plurality of bill-holding leaves hinged one to, another-,one of said leaves being plvotally mounted in said bearings and supporting the other leaves, all of said leaveswhen upright leaning toward the back off the case, and a spring supported in the case acting, when one'or more-of the leaves are drawn down, i'on'iove thetops of the remaining leaves forward away from the back of the case.

12. A crcdit'accounting cabinet including a supporting base provided 'with hinging devices; a plurality of hillholdlng leaves hinged together and the front ohe'of-the leaves provlded with hlnglngdevices' to co-operate with the hlnging devices of the base, and means for locking" the vices of the base. i

13. A credit-accounting cabinet including a plurality of bil1ho1ding leaves groupedtogether and provided with adjustabie hing'ing devices connecting the leaves together for shifting either leaf on its hingingdevices longitudinally with respect to the other .leaves of the group, and means 5 for supporting the group of leaves. Y

14. A credit-accounting cabinet including a plurality of hinged leaves or frames having each a plurality of partitions thereon and a plurality of rods mounted on each" leaf or frame and extendingthrough the partitions, 'and bill- 1O clamps mounted on the rods hetween the several partitions.

15. A ci-e dibaecounting cabinet including leaves or frames each comprising -a main part, strips on the main rods mounted in the partitions and sides, and bill-clamps mounted on the rods.

- In testimony whereof, I aihx my signature-in pres'enee of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

J. .1. BROWN, M. A. MILLER.

' PERRY A. McCASKEY, 

